


The Greatest Gift Of All

by Huntress79



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, M/M, Married Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Parent Bucky Barnes, Parent Steve Rogers, War Veteran Bucky Barnes, War Veteran Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:22:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22254844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huntress79/pseuds/Huntress79
Summary: They both were seasoned soldiers, had faced countless enemies without even breaking a sweat. But this - this was a whole new planet. One they planned to make their own. Or: two big, soft soldiers fall in love with a tiny, pink bundle of joy. On Christmas Day.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 4
Kudos: 121
Collections: Stucky Secret Santa 2019





	The Greatest Gift Of All

**Author's Note:**

> written for Stucky Secret Santa and [LilyInTheSnow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilyInTheSnow). Set in an AU where Bucky and Steve are born in modern times, veterans and married. Appearances from other MCU characters. Based on a true story that happened in my homestead, but with lots of things changed to fit this story.

*********************

The call came early on Christmas Day, just when Bucky pulled a sheet of cookies from the oven. Setting them aside, along with the oven mittens, he grabbed his mobile from the docking station - and almost dropped it when he read the name on the display.

“Steve! Honey, quick, Coulson’s calling!” he hollered down the main hallway of their Brooklyn apartment, trusting his husband to follow his “order”. And Steve did, appearing sleep-rumpled and not quite awake in the doorway to the kitchen only heartbeat later.

“Morning. What did he say?” Steve got out around a yawn while shuffling closer to Bucky.

“I don’t know. I was waiting on you before answering,” Bucky gave back, just a teeny tiny bit sheepish.

“Oh. Well, I’m here, so what you’re waiting for?”

“And if we get rejected again? I don’t know if I can stomach that again,” Bucky admitted, his heart giving a painful squeeze. Almost to the day a year before, they were in a similar situation, only for Phil Coulson, their social worker and friend by now, to call them that the mother had a change of heart and didn’t want her baby to grow up with two daddies at all. It took a lot of coaxing from everyone in their large circle of friends to get Bucky and Steve back on track after that low blow.

“We’ll get through it again, babe, I promise,” Steve assured his husband. “If nothing else, we’ll drive over to Darcy’s shelter and add a furry baby to our household instead.” He pecked a quick kiss to Bucky’s lips. “But for now, don’t let Coulson wait any longer.”

Heaving a sigh, Bucky finally pressed the green button on his mobile. Only seconds later, the sonorous voice of Phil Coulson filled the kitchen.

“Good morning, gentlemen, and Merry Christmas!”

“Good morning, Phil,” Steve replied, “Merry Christmas to you, too, and I hope you’re calling to make our Christmas Day just a bit brighter this year.”

“You’re absolutely right, Steve,” both men could almost see the smile spreading on Phil’s face. “Any chance that you and Bucky could meet me at the pediatric ward of St. Agathe’s in, say, an hour?”

“We’ll be there in 45,” Bucky promised before heading out of the kitchen and down the hallway to change into something more appropriate for Winter than the t-shirt/sweat pants combo he was wearing at the moment.

*********************

Barely 40 minutes later, Steve was pulling into the parking lot of the hospital, since Bucky was too nervous to trust himself driving at all. Luck seemed to be on their side, since they only had to circle once through the lot before Steve spotted an open spot.

At long last, they were wandering down the hallway of the pediatric ward, spotting Phil Coulson from afar, the dark suit he was always wearing making him stand out among the sea of whites and pinks.

“Hey, Phil, here we are.”

“Follow me guys, I’d like you to meet someone.”

With that, he turned to the large glass door to his right, indicating that they were about to enter the NICU part of the ward. A young nurse appeared at his side, holding out three covers for them to put over their clothes.

“Don’t worry, it’s just a precautionary measure.” She gestured around at the small incubators, each of them holding an incredible tiny baby. “These guys already had a tough start into life, we don’t want to put them under even more stress when we can help it.”

“Absolutely understandable,” both Steve and Bucky agreed, their eyes glued to the tiny babies and the various cables connected to them.

“This way, gentlemen,” Coulson cut in, striding through the NICU, with Bucky and Steve hot on his heels. At last, he came to a stop at yet another incubator.

“Steve, Bucky, may I introduce you to a little lost angel?” He gestured at the tiny body inside before continuing. “She was found two days ago in a shoebox, left at the steps of an apartment building not even a block from here, a note folded into the blanket that she should have it better than her mother.”

Both Bucky and Steve were transfixed on the little girl, but at the same time enraged at the so-called mother to, more or less, throw her own kid away that way.

“Is she okay?” Bucky finally asked.

“Yeah, she was a bit dehydrated and her body temperature was a bit down, but other than that, she was deemed healthy.”

“Then why is she here in the NICU?” Steve prodded.

“As the nurse said, more of a precautionary measure than anything else. It’s hospital policy to put every found baby in here, to keep the other babies over in the open part of the ward safe, in case she or he has anything the others might contract that way.”

That seemed to settle Steve, as he gave Phil a short nod.

“Did the police find the mother?” Bucky inquired after some more moments of staring at the tiny bundle in front of him.

“Yeah,” at this, Phil’s expression turned serious, “this morning in a rundown hotel. Dead from an overdose.” Seeing both pairs of eyes growing larger, he quickly continued. “As soon as Detective Wilson told me about, I had the doctors perform yet another drug test, but like the first one, it came up clean.”

“So, what happens next?”

“That’s quite easy, guys - you sign the necessary papers, and you can leave with her right afterwards. She probably has to come back for some more tests and vaccinations and whatnot, but not in the near future. Long story short, you can celebrate Christmas with her, if you want.”

“If we want?” Steve echoed, his voice pitching higher at the end, due to his incredulity. “Phil, you know us long enough to know otherwise.” Their social worker nodded. “So, where do we sign?”

“I actually only need one of you for most of the papers, so one of you could stay here and get started on building up a connection to the little princess.”

“I… I really would like that,” Bucky admitted, “if you don’t mind, honey.”

“Never,” Steve assured him with a peck on the cheek. “Go ahead, meet our daughter. I’ll be back in a few.” With that, he followed Phil out of the NICU and over to the small office the social worker had set up at the hospital, while Bucky got situated by the nurse and finally got to hold the little girl that was about to change their lives for all eternity.

“Hey doll,” Bucky crooned as the nurse placed the baby in his arms, “I’m… I’m your new daddy. And you get another daddy as well. And we’re gonna love you so much, you can’t even begin to imagine yet.” He let out a chuckle, and if the way the baby girl glucked at feeling the rumble from it in her tiny body was any indicator, she already loved it. “Gotta admit, we’re probably in over our heads, but you need to know that this wouldn’t be the first time, for either of us. But we’re determined, some people even say stubborn like a mule, and we usually learn from mistakes. So, you just have to bear with us a bit, just like we’re gonna do with you.”

At that, a tiny, fragile looking hand snuck out of the blanket, and on pure instinct, the little girl found Bucky’s fingers, wrapping her tiny fist tightly around his little finger. He never thought it was possible, but in that moment, Bucky’s heart was overflowing with love for the tiny bundle in his arms.

That was how Steve found him only minutes later, his husband’s pale blue eyes transfixed on the breathing pattern of their little girl.

“Buck?” Steve spoke up, and only after repeating it twice, the man in question reacted to it.

“Oh, Steve, hey. What’s… what’s up?”

“Nothing serious,” Phil supplied, “I just need two things: (a) your signature on this paper, and (b) a name for this little heartbreaker.”

Bucky signed the paper, not even paying attention to what he was signing at all, his mind still too occupied by the tiny package in his arms.

“What do you think about Sarah Christina?” Bucky suggested, looking up at his husband. “Sarah for your mom, and Christina for this day today.”

“Beautiful,” was all Steve got out. “Perfect.”

“Very well,” Phil concluded with a grin. “Congrats, guys, you are fathers now!” He held out a hand, and with just some shuffling on Bucky’s side, both men managed to shake it. “I’ll file these papers right away, and I don’t expect any problems coming up. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to call me, day and night, you hear me?”

“Yes, sir, we heard you,” Bucky quipped, causing everyone at least to smile. With a light squeeze to Bucky’s shoulder and a nod to Steve, Phil left the pediatric ward, his heart a whole lot easier now that he managed to make this Christmas miracle come true.

*********************

The End

*********************


End file.
